Last track night of the year. It's been a good season and I think the workouts have really improved my running and my strength. Thanks Bighead. Now a group of us switch to Tuesday tempo runs for the winter. I'll try to run as many Tuesday nights as possible all year.
Followed the run with a swim. I swam about 45-50 minutes. Not sure how many metres. I was very sore (blew my back out a bit) and generally feeling crappy. Some days are golden.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Week in Review.
Bit of a crap week. Sidetracked a bit by a nasty nasty chest cold or something. Two days off work. Skipped a few usual workouts. Life goes on...
Thursday: About 5.5km on the track with the BEC XC runners. Followed that with a really tough swim. 1.5 hours, something around 2000m of mostly IM sets. Brutal.
Saturday: Planned to bike to the pool but I woke up to a howling wind. The lake was choppy and the trees were swaying so I stayed in bed for an extra 20 minutes. Did about 2600m in the pool. Started with warm-up followed by 800m. That's the longest continuous swim I've done since the summer. Felt good. After that the sets were very heavy on kick. Not cool. My kicking truly sucks. On a good note the coaching this year is truly excellent.
I have something going on with my right elbow. Pain when I put any pressure on it. Hurts a bit in the water, especially with the motion of breast stroke. Hmmm. Ice and time I hope.
Sunday: Annual Pumpkin Run. 5km (ish) in Petersfield Park. Last run in the CB Roadrunners points series. This is a tough 5k. The park is beautiful but there are lots of short hills and tight turns that keep the heart rate high and the pace relatively slow. Weather was cool and a bit misty but the rain held off until the race was over. Finished in 27 minutes and change and wasn't feeling the greatest. I was over 30 minutes last year so I'll take it. I dressed up as Captain Awesome. Pretty lame.
Thursday: About 5.5km on the track with the BEC XC runners. Followed that with a really tough swim. 1.5 hours, something around 2000m of mostly IM sets. Brutal.
Saturday: Planned to bike to the pool but I woke up to a howling wind. The lake was choppy and the trees were swaying so I stayed in bed for an extra 20 minutes. Did about 2600m in the pool. Started with warm-up followed by 800m. That's the longest continuous swim I've done since the summer. Felt good. After that the sets were very heavy on kick. Not cool. My kicking truly sucks. On a good note the coaching this year is truly excellent.
I have something going on with my right elbow. Pain when I put any pressure on it. Hurts a bit in the water, especially with the motion of breast stroke. Hmmm. Ice and time I hope.
Sunday: Annual Pumpkin Run. 5km (ish) in Petersfield Park. Last run in the CB Roadrunners points series. This is a tough 5k. The park is beautiful but there are lots of short hills and tight turns that keep the heart rate high and the pace relatively slow. Weather was cool and a bit misty but the rain held off until the race was over. Finished in 27 minutes and change and wasn't feeling the greatest. I was over 30 minutes last year so I'll take it. I dressed up as Captain Awesome. Pretty lame.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Sunday Runday
Ran about 7km on the way to mom's for supper. Was feeling great despite the gross, hacking chest cold I seem to have. I would have liked to run farther but Jody and the girls caught up to me in the car. Should have left earlier I guess. When I got in the car I told Jody that I don't think I have ever run in more perfect running weather. Cool but not cold, overcast and still. Sundays are going to have to turn into long run days. I so prefer a destination to an out an back run. I just seem way more willing to work if I'm going somewhere and know that I have to get there. A to B. Simple. It's so tempting to turn around even a few minutes early if I'm running out and back from home. Discipline!
Almost got smoked by a car crossing the road to get in the car. Seriously, it felt pretty close. Eyes open Morrison! Even when you're tired!
I think it's also time for new sneakers. I love my Kinvara 2s but I may have to break down and buy the 3s. I should try to track the milage on the new ones.
Almost got smoked by a car crossing the road to get in the car. Seriously, it felt pretty close. Eyes open Morrison! Even when you're tired!
I think it's also time for new sneakers. I love my Kinvara 2s but I may have to break down and buy the 3s. I should try to track the milage on the new ones.
Maybe not so white next time. Mine are looking pretty haggard.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Swim Bike Saturday
Great 3+km swim this morning. In a lane with faster swimmers (what else is new) and trying to keep up and still finish the workout. I think I skipped about 100m all together. I'm finding the workouts getting better, my endurance building back up and I'm feeling fairly strong in the water. The speed is not there for any long distance. Working on it.
After some food and coffee my buddy Todd and I went for about 1.5 hours on the Mountain bikes. We drove up Morley Road to the Kelly Rock gate and found a trail. Nice mix of technical, gravel road, rocks, ATV paths and mud. Happy to say I stayed on my bike and that no boulders were injured in the making of this post.
Good workout day. Feeling a bit tapped by 6 this evening. Still going to the DOA show though!
After some food and coffee my buddy Todd and I went for about 1.5 hours on the Mountain bikes. We drove up Morley Road to the Kelly Rock gate and found a trail. Nice mix of technical, gravel road, rocks, ATV paths and mud. Happy to say I stayed on my bike and that no boulders were injured in the making of this post.
Good workout day. Feeling a bit tapped by 6 this evening. Still going to the DOA show though!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday and Tuesday Run and Swim
Monday: 5.5 km with two of the BEC runners. Regionals on Thursday!
Tuesday: Track workout with Steve coaching. Warm up + plyometric lap + 4,3,2,1 intervals (X3) + cool down = 7.6 km with about half above 5 km race pace. Still feeling great running but I'm starting to notice a bit of tightness in my hips and groin. I'll have to find some stretches and add those to my core strength days. Followed that with about 3000 m in the pool and a serious cramp in the back of my leg. I have to get that worked out. Is it diet? Not enough water? Have to do some research and get that sorted for sure. This was also my first time in the pool since "the boulder incident". No worries.
I also signed up for a 100 push-up challenge last week. Why? Because it's there? I'm skipping tonight's workout though. It's a beer and bed kinda night.
Tuesday: Track workout with Steve coaching. Warm up + plyometric lap + 4,3,2,1 intervals (X3) + cool down = 7.6 km with about half above 5 km race pace. Still feeling great running but I'm starting to notice a bit of tightness in my hips and groin. I'll have to find some stretches and add those to my core strength days. Followed that with about 3000 m in the pool and a serious cramp in the back of my leg. I have to get that worked out. Is it diet? Not enough water? Have to do some research and get that sorted for sure. This was also my first time in the pool since "the boulder incident". No worries.
I also signed up for a 100 push-up challenge last week. Why? Because it's there? I'm skipping tonight's workout though. It's a beer and bed kinda night.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Double Run Day
The last few Tuesdays have become double run days. I coach the BEC XC team and we have ended up running Tuesdays lately. Since I also do speedwork every Tuesday night I've been doing double duty. I'm starting to feel some benefits from this. I'm feeling stronger in my evening workout than I ever have and I'm not noticing any ill effects from running earlier in the day. Today I ran about 5km with the team and between 9 and 10 on the track and I'm still feeling good. Work = payoff. No swimming tonight. Shoulder is still a bit sensitive. May hold off until Saturday.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Boulder: 1, Mike: ...1. Let's call it a tie.
Mountain bike ride Yesterday. Mountain biking is harder and more interesting than road riding. I plan to do as much as possible in my general base work in preparation for Ironman. I spent about an hour in the woods in Howie Centre yesterday. Great trails, high heart-rate, core stability and good general leg work. Lots of mud. Ended the day by bailing off my bike on a slippery downhill and shoulder-checking a decent sized boulder next to the trail. Could have been worse, could have been my head, could have broken a bone. I did see stars. That's normal right? Seems like a pretty serious bruise today. No major colour but a bit of swelling and some moderate pain; especially when I try to lift my arm above my head... or reach too far for something... or lift things the wrong way. No swimming for me tonight. Probably no swimming for me tomorrow night. We'll see. Could have been way worse.
This is what I ride:
2011 Giant Trinity 0
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Crowie.
This video about Craig Alexander is just fantastic.
Corey Deveaux said it best: "What a class act!"
Aussies Abroad: Craig Alexander
Corey Deveaux said it best: "What a class act!"
Aussies Abroad: Craig Alexander
Saturday Morning Bike/Swim/Bike/Bread/Bike
Up at 6:50. Out the door around 7:25. Bike to the pool (around 15km) in the cool fog. I was a bit slow today. The ride took me a bit longer than usual. I was tired, carrying a pack and cargo bag. Had a cookie and a coffee before leaving.
Swim was fantastic. About 1.5 hours in the pool and somewhere around 2800m. Felt good. Swimming with Vinny, The Pyke and Paul B.; all faster than me. I chased them up and down the pool. This is my reality if I want to get faster. Ate a banana and a home-made energy bar post swim. And half a cookie.
Bike home. Stopped at the market for Bread. Mmmmm bread. Pretty beat for the last 10 km home. About 32 km of biking in total. I needed a rest so I watched a Kona 2011 special on-line. It made me feel weak and lazy!
Now to stay awake and try to be a productive human being for the rest of the day.
Swim was fantastic. About 1.5 hours in the pool and somewhere around 2800m. Felt good. Swimming with Vinny, The Pyke and Paul B.; all faster than me. I chased them up and down the pool. This is my reality if I want to get faster. Ate a banana and a home-made energy bar post swim. And half a cookie.
Bike home. Stopped at the market for Bread. Mmmmm bread. Pretty beat for the last 10 km home. About 32 km of biking in total. I needed a rest so I watched a Kona 2011 special on-line. It made me feel weak and lazy!
Now to stay awake and try to be a productive human being for the rest of the day.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Rum Runner's Relay/ Riverport Duathlon
Okay. So I should really be keeping track of training swims/bikes/runs but life gets in the way. Safe to say I had some great and some not so great of each since my last post.
This past weekend I joined a team of Barbarians for two races on the mainland. Rum Runner's Relay happened all day Saturday. I ran leg 3 which was around 11.2km. I covered the rolling course, which included a section of Rails to Trails in Tantallon in just over 56 minutes. I wasn't pushing it in the least since I knew I was racing again the next day and really wanted to beat last year's Riverport time. I felt good. Ran through some rain.
The 2011 Riverport Du happened in what can only be described as biblical rain. It was a bit nutty and scary on the bike. This year the rain held off until the last racer came off the course. Riverport is a 4km run, 28 km bike and another 4km run. I couldn't have been much happier with my performance. A solid middle of the pack placing (what more can a guy ask for?) and the fastest I've ever run 8km even though there was a hilly and challenging bike ride in the middle. I managed to beat last year's time by just over 10 minutes. Stoked.
This past weekend I joined a team of Barbarians for two races on the mainland. Rum Runner's Relay happened all day Saturday. I ran leg 3 which was around 11.2km. I covered the rolling course, which included a section of Rails to Trails in Tantallon in just over 56 minutes. I wasn't pushing it in the least since I knew I was racing again the next day and really wanted to beat last year's Riverport time. I felt good. Ran through some rain.
The Cape Breton Barbarians
2012 Rum Runners Relay team
Me and P-Mac heading into T-2 at Riverport
Run 1 - 18:46
Bike - 56:29
Run 2 - 20:04
Total - 1:35:18
Place - 36 of 76
Finishing the Riverport Duathlon 2012
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